The Business/Art of Super Bowl Entertainment

Today, our country’s workforce has a wonderful and rare annual occasion to bond over a shared experience: the athletically beautiful and highly competitive football game itself (down to the last minute!); those Super Bowl commercials; and the merits and/or demerits of the music of the Super Bowl.

My take on the game?

Incredible. More satisfying than a Snickers bar. This opinion is coming from a guy who lives in Buffalo, and was in college during the Bills’ four consecutive Super Bowl appearances—so we know a bit here in our fair city about nail biters.

The commercials?

Don’t care and didn’t pay attention to them much. I have two wonderful young kids plus had my mother-in-law over, and we spent our time doing more interactive and creative things during the breaks. The ones I did see were unimpressive in strategy, even if they were financially costly to produce and to air.

The music?

Mixed bag. But overall success.

• John Legend’s performance of America the Beautiful was outstanding. Simple in execution, pure and organic in delivery, and musically it seemed pitch perfect. Legend stayed true to his brand and delivered what we love from him.
  
  
• Idina Menzel’s national anthem was disappointing. She said in an interview that she wanted to be sure to “take her time” with it. She achieved that. But in our not so humble musical opinion, it was without any tempo, she was flat in pitch I think three different times, and she went for way too many acrobatics. The pressure was on for a human Disney princess, of course, but these are professionals. Top paid ones. (Maybe she was just tired from too many promotional appearances.) Menzel’s product quality did not deliver as promised and I would like a rebate or credit on a future Disney or Menzel production for my daughters. ;>)
  
  
• Katy Perry’s halftime show was exceptional. One of the most well choreographed and designed in years. Musically it gave the fans their money’s worth. As a performer, Perry was solid through the entire segment. But equal to a lot of our interest was the quality of the special effects and lighting. Company Perry offered above average entertainment value for the world, a winning product, a large wow factor and an even greater audience approval and repeat visitation, repeat purchase likelihood.

I read a few reviews online before typing this, and most I think loved the show. A few critics focused on Perry relying on too many things besides the music. But that’s missing the point for the halftime show.

Daniel D’Addario of TIME, did a nice job explaining why Perry achieved success last night.

“Katy Perry justified the NFL’s trust in her with a dynamic, wild show that traded the technical song-and-dance competence of predecessors like Beyoncé for an emphasis on showmanship.”

Exactly. It was fun to watch from start to end. Perry never showed fatigue or a wimpy attitude. She soared through the entire performance. And it was a fantastic “performance” at that. As refreshing as an ice cold Pepsi (offered thanks here for paying for the halftime show!).

Music is a business. It’s part of a thing they dubbed “show business” a long time ago before we all came along. It involves carefully mixing artistic, entertainment and business decisions in many meetings months before, during and after any actual rehearsals.

It involves at this level many contracts, negotiations, hiring-and-firing of staff, consultants, investments, production of costumes, revised costumes, props, lighting mock-ups and digital reviews, revisions, approvals, re-approvals, more investing, and of course tons of rehearsals, long hours and work.

Afterward, it involves assessment of what went well and what went wrong; how the artist/company will not make the same errors in the future, and how it will capitalize on any wins; listening to the consumers in social analytics, surveys, news coverage, etc. and deciding on next steps that can apply to existing products already out there (e.g. concerts, appearances, staffing, supplies, scheduling, new requests, etc.); and especially what should change to be more attractive and profitable with key demographics, and what should stay because of artistic and musical value and artist core branding, talent, key strategies and short and long range goals of the artist as product.

That’s show business after all. On the biggest stage in the world.

John Senall is principal and founder of Mobile First Media and Digital Healthcom Group. Before that, he also studied, practiced, performed and taught music for over 30 years on the side of his day career as a drummer and university-schooled percussionist. A lot of wedding receptions, beer halls, smoky casinos, loud bars, fun outdoor shows, garage and basement rehearsals later, he still likes to share his not so humble musical opinions with anyone willing to ask or read. Thanks for reading.